


The Storm

by The_Poet (orphan_account)



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Domestic Violence, Dominant Eren Yeager, Homeless Levi, Implied/Referenced Rape/Non-con, M/M, Older Eren Yeager, Past Relationship(s), Sexual Violence, Submissive Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Younger Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin)
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-08-08
Updated: 2016-08-29
Packaged: 2018-08-07 12:36:32
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 8
Words: 11,188
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7715158
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/The_Poet
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Eren Jeager, a young successful business man stumbles across a weak ravenette curled up in an alleyway during a storm. After a promise of no physical contact Eren is to bring Levi home and tend to him, but how will they cope with each other when a realization dawns on the both of them over time?</p><p>Terrible summary, entire fic based off of a prompt made by a friend. Tags and Character list due for updates as new chapters roll in.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Storm

**Author's Note:**

  * For [RikaAven](https://archiveofourown.org/users/RikaAven/gifts).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovely readers! So this fic is dedicated to larreeh since she’s the one that came up with the general idea for this and there was no way I wasn’t going to make this in her honour <3 So I’m pretty new to the soulmate au, I’ve heard lots about it but I’m still pretty new, i’m doing research as I write so if something seems out of place please please please tell me so I can fix it before a new chapter is released! I am constantly working on my writing style as I read other author's books and pick up on their style, so you might notice changes in my own writing throughout the chapters, pay no mind and act as if nothing has changed. Comments and kudos are always appreciated, let’s me know you guys want more.  
> PS: This fic will contain mentions of non-con and past physcial/sexual abuse on Levi, if you can't handle any of that I suggest you read something a little more tame.

Rain, a gentle pitter-patter on the side of the bakery window drew Eren’s attention over. He let out an exasperated sigh as he sipped from his coffee and raked a hand through his messy curls, daring to look around the dining area to see many others in his position as well - each fresh from work, getting some well-deserved coffee and pastries from their local bakery before they were to go home - all without a car. Yeah, Eren lived just down the street but he would have rathered to go home dry and from the looks of the dark clouds overhead, the storm wasn’t going anywhere anytime soon.

The brunette finished the last of his coffee before he stood and returned the cup, dropping some change in the tips jar before he marched over to the door. It was raining harder now, low rumbles of thunder shaking Eren to the core, occasional flashes of lightning catching his eye, cars and pedestrians outside hurrying home, Eren was about to become one of them. He took a deep breath before he stepped outside, shivering as soon as the rain hit his unprotected body and started down the street as fast as he could at a walk, there was no way he was going to run in his work clothes and risk a rip. Eren did his best to keep his head low to avoid chilly wind and wet, unforgiving droplets of rain in his eyes but would still look up occasionally to make sure he wasn’t about to smack into some poor passerbyer just trying to do the same as him. He was close to his apartment within minutes, but movement in a nearby alleyway caught his attention momentarily. He stopped and turned, walking over to a collection of wet cardboard boxes he could only guess one thing - homeless.

There were plenty of homeless people in his city, but many were better off than whoever this was. Shelters were scattered all around for men, women, and children, each designed for getting those people back on their feet again all for a low price of nothing more than a desire to try, obviously this person had lost such a flame.

Eren crouched down before the boxes, tilting his head like a curious puppy to try and get a better view of the man that was curled up under his makeshift home and newspaper blankets - all of which were soaked from the rain.

“Hey…” His words were soft, quiet, welcoming. Eren had no intention of scaring the man, it looked as though he came from a bad position anyway - bruises, cuts, scrapes and dried blood scattered his porcelain skin, a certain tired look filled those glassy blue-grey orbs. The ravenette was afraid, he wasn’t shaking from the rain any longer and now it was because of Eren. He sat up quickly, breaking down the rest of his cardboard home in the process just so he could press himself back against the brick wall behind him, his chest quickly rising and falling as he blindly searched around him for something, something Eren couldn’t see but still risked slowly reaching out carefully.

“Easy there...I won’t hurt you I promise, I just wanted to know why you’re here? I could bring you to a shelter if you want?” He asked, attempting to keep his words as quiet and soothing as possible, his eyes latched onto the ravenettes knowing that if he looked away this man could possibly run off as soon as the chance was given.

“No…” He hissed, his voice deep and raspy - most likely from lack of use, or possibly overuse. Whatever the case was Eren found himself frowning, his mouth opening to speak again only to let out a sharp gasp. Eren didn’t have to look to his hand to know what had happened - the ravenette was looking for a weapon and had found it, slashing Erens palm in defense. Eren stayed calm, lowering his now bleeding hand to his side to keep it from gushing too much blood.

“Alright...no shelter, why don’t I bring you home? I can give you clean clothes, a cozy bed, nice food and a warm bath. What do you say?” He asked, keeping his words as calm as before. The ravenette seemed to falter for a moment, his eyes searching Eren’s face for a moment trying to find some underlying threat.

“You can keep that on you as well if you wish, that way you can fight back if you feel threatened.” Eren muttered, motioning to the knuckle knife that was still held firmly in the smaller man’s hand defensively towards Eren. “I just live down the street, a building or so away in fact...No one will bother you, I’ll keep my distance and only interfere if you need it.” He tried, he couldn’t leave this man to suffer, especially in his condition, he wouldn’t be surprised if he had a broken bone somewhere. Those stormy eyes examined Eren again, the blue seeming to swirl in with slate grey to create unique clusters of grey clouds within the mans eyes, Eren could have gotten lost in such a storm but barely had the time for that before the man flipped the blade back and stood up, using the wall behind him as a support.

“Fine..” Eren smiled weakly, taking a moment before he stood as well. A scowl was written all over the ravenettes face, obviously not too pleased about the situation he was placed in.

“Why don’t I carry you? You don’t look like you could support yourself..” Eren tried, but the man shook his head as he started towards the street.

“Hell no, I would rather die. Don’t touch me, at all.” He warned lowly, Eren could only mutter an agreement before he walked after the stumbling man, frowning as he fought off the urge to at least _try_ and help him walk but still valued the ravenettes warning more than his own wants.

“What’s your name? I’m Eren.” His words were soft, the threat of the ravenette leaving still lingering in the air at any sort of threat that came from him.

“Levi.” Was all he said, not bothering to give a formal introduction, Eren couldn’t blame him - Levi looked as if he had been to hell and back three times over. Eren wanted to ask a million questions, he wanted to know how and why Levi ended up in that alleyway all alone, he wanted to know why he didn’t find help, he wanted to know why such a strong person could get to such a state. So many questions, all of which Eren bit back, remembering to ask another time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This one is pretty short, I promise the next chapters are going to be longer usually I take up a couple sheets on google docs but this time it was about one and a half :/


	2. Alone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you all for the wave of support! I'm glad you guys are liking it, for once I actually have a fic i'm interested in writing. I've had major writers block for almost four years and haven't enjoyed writing as much as I am right now. I have so many plans, I'm taking the original idea that larreeh conjured up and making it something of my own, ah I'm so excited ^_^  
> I might keep chapters on the shorter side just to keep it all going in short bursts, it also saves me from having to sit down for three hours and think of one conversation or scene to fill the chapter that takes up five + pages on google docs.  
> Anywho, enjoy!

His words were nothing more than a low hum in the back of Levi’s mind. “Are you thirsty?” “Do you want a shower?” “I’ll get you some clean clothes.” “I bet you’re starving.” Levi never answered Eren, he was too tired to care, too shocked to use his voice effectively. Eventually he was washed up, given clean clothes that seemed two sizes too big, fed, and a cup of hot chocolate to warm his still shivering body, all while Eren watched like some concerned parent looking over their sick child - it made Levi want to puke. He wasn’t weak, he wasn’t fragile or incapable of caring for himself...he wasn’t.

Eren’s words were eventually replaced with the music on the radio in the kitchen, lulling Levi in and out of his day dreams while he sipped from the frothy beverage in his mug. Memories swept past the ravenettes eyes, familiar lyrics ringing in his ears and yet he couldn’t quite place a band or artist on it...it had been so long since Levi had actually  _ listened _ to the radio. 

“Enjoying yourself?” Levi glanced up to Eren, he was smiling. Levi had already come to hate that warm smile it lit up the room around him and outshone all other sources of light, perfect white teeth lined up with his soft features and light stubble - who could hate such a glorious sight? Levi could.

“What?” His words came out as defensive and bitter, his other hand tightening on the knuckle knife he still held onto like a life source. Eren’s laugh made Levi want to throw up, eventually it dawned on him; he had been humming along.

“Do you like Maroon 5? My mom used to listen to nothing else than this song in particular, I actually hated it for awhile…” Eren’s brows furrowed, his gaze going distant as he faded off. Important details were missing from his story but Levi wasn’t one to dig, so he left it at that and continued to listen in.

The song they were listening to was She Will Be Loved, Levi had heard it plenty of times before, he would occasionally find himself humming to it while he made dinner for Erwin or late at night when he was too afraid to sleep - whatever it was, he was never truly happy when the song came on.

A bright flash made the both of them jump where they sat, the lights around them flickering before burning out completely. Eren laughed again, anxiously as he fumbled around for his phone and turned the flashlight on, aiming it at Levi who flinched and held his hand up in an attempt to keep the light from his eyes.

“Fucking hell brat, put that away.” Levi hissed, setting the empty mug on the coffee table before him. Eren laughed again before he set his phone on the table as well, screen-down so they had a small light source to illuminate the living room.

“Well, I suppose that ends our night huh? Why don’t we get you to bed? You can take my room, I’ll stay out here. Don’t worry I’ve gone ahead and changed all the bedding for you so you don’t have to worry about any smells or anything dirty.” Levi was quite amused with the brunettes offers, his eyes lingered on the taller man for a moment before he nodded in agreement and stood.

“Alright than, show me where I’m going.” Eren nodded at Levi’s words and stood up as well, walking down the hallway with Levi to his bedroom. It was an impressive space - well kept, clean, could Levi dare say it looked  _ professional _ ? What  _ was _ Eren anyway? 

“Will this do? If you need anything else just come and wake me up, I’ll get it for you.” Eren said as he glanced around his room nervously, seeming to expect Levi to pick out any imperfections or anything he didn’t like, nothing of that sort came from the ravenette, instead he walked over and set his knife on the nightstand beside the king sized bed.  _ Too big for one person…  _ Levi mused before he hopped up on the bed, glancing back over to Eren that still stood at the doorway with a dazed expression.

“What? I’m tired. Goodnight. Do you need me to tuck you in or something?” Levi hissed, Eren laughed and shook his head, grabbing the door to close, not without peeking his head in one last time.

“Goodnight, Levi.” He hummed before closing the door and wandered off to his couch for the night. Meanwhile, Levi sighed and curled up in the warm, welcoming sheets that he wrapped himself up in. Sure, he had slept in a warm bed beside a warm body for a couple of years in his recent life, but never before had those sheets been so welcoming, never before had that body been safe. Finally, Levi could help without a worry in the world. Or at least he hoped.

His dreams were filled with that man he once called his lover - those strong hands he had loved eventually turned against him, inflicting bruises, cuts, broken bones and so many more degrading things that Levi could barely count off - if only he had enough fingers and toes to count them all. That warm smile turning cold. Those soft words and gentle purrs of “I love you, Levi.” Turning into heart shattering “I wish you would just shut up.” Levi tossed and turned as he slept, that man seeming to linger in the deepest darkest shadows of his mind, only coming to possess him when he was completely incapable of defending himself against such a threat - with that, he woke with a start, his chest heavily rising and falling as he looked around the dark room to find the threat that was lingering in his dreams, only to find himself alone.

Levi wasn’t going to sleep tonight.

* * *

 

Levi stepped out of Erens room in the morning, greeted with the sweet scent of freshly made pancakes and bacon, his stomach rumbling before he could process that he was hungry at all. He padded on over to the kitchen to find Eren slaving over his stove with a frying pan and spatula, humming another familiar tune - one that Levi didn’t bother trying to figure out as he sat himself down on one of the barstools at the island counter, his legs dangling off from the risen chair that made Levi feel impossibly small.

“Hungry?” Eren asked, not bothering to look over at Levi, it wasn’t like there were multiple people in his apartment, it was easy to identify Levi. The ravenette hummed in reply at first, his eyes glancing over the food that Eren was making again, they weren’t _ just _ pancakes, they were  _ chocolate chip _ pancakes. Probably one of Levi’s favourite breakfast foods in the world.

“Depends, do you know what you’re making?” His question was sincere, he wasn’t going to eat shitty pancakes that had one too many eggs and were uncooked on the inside - Hanji had made those one too many times, effectively forcing Levi to rise early and make his own to avoid the crazy womans…experiment worthy breakfasts.

“Obviously I know what I’m making, I’ve cooked for myself since I was a kid I don’t think I’m going to kill you with my food any time soon.” Eren went on, his voice defensive, trying to make Levi understand that his cooking was just _ fine _ . Levi rolled his eyes, glancing down to the knife that was clutched in his hand tightly before he flipped the blade back and set it on the counter, watching as Eren came over with a plate with two pancakes and a few strips of bacon, his eyes seeming to linger on the laying weapon for a moment before he went over to grab the butter and syrup.

“Where did you even get that thing? It looks like the most expensive thing you own.” Eren’s words were meant to be a joke, but Levi still found himself fuming in frustration as he glared at the approaching brunette, wordlessly accepting the butter and syrup.

“A parting gift.” He said simply, lathering up his pancakes with some butter before he cut them - a little more aggressive than what cutting pancakes called for. He had stolen it from Erwin, right under his nose without the blonde noticing. Holding onto the knuckle knife until he found the right moment to-

“A parting gift? What? Are you from some killer cult?” Eren mused, leaning over the counter as he listened to Levi, the ravenette rolling his eyes in response.

“Are you an idiot? No, that story is none of your business anyway. Shut up and get your own breakfast.” Levi muttered as he poured syrup on his cut pancakes, shooting a glare at Eren before he looked down and started to eat.

“Ah, I would, if I hadn’t already ate. I have work in an hour so I have to get ready. I can’t control you but please don’t leave while I’m gone? I don’t want you back out on those streets, even with that weapon of yours you can’t accomplish much against bigger men with guns and bigger knives.” Eren pointed out, not giving Levi any space to reply before he walked off to the bathroom for a shower, leaving the ravenette to sigh and think of what Eren had said. 

It was tempting, to just leave without any notice and not have to deal with the brunette again, work out his life on his own and attempt to find Hanji...in a big city...hell she could have moved after all the years of no contact! He had no fucking clue where she was. His best bet was to stay with this man...but what if he was married? Had a nice wife? That bed was too big for one man, unless if he slept around a lot...though Levi could hardly imagine that, even with his limited time with Eren. Still, the brunette could have already found his soulmate and Levi would just be intruding when said mate returned home...wherever she was.

Levi was knocked from his thoughts as Eren came back from his speedy shower, dressed in his suit and briefcase of what Levi could only assume was his paperwork to hand in. He wasn’t much to look at - his hair was still messy as always, just a little damp from his shower, his teeth as white as the previous day, green eyes glowing with joy, smile as tender and caring as before, the only thing different was the suit. It tightly hugged Eren's body, showing off his lean muscle even under the layers he was wearing but still...not much to look at, Levi denied, even as his eyes lingered for just a moment too long.

“I’ll see you, yeah?” Eren asked, his eyes trailing over Levi with concern before he walked over to the door, Levi watching him as he swallowed down another mouthful of pancakes.

“Yeah, maybe.” The ravenette hummed, his heart seeming to miss a beat as Erens smile lit up the room again, taking his breath away in the process.  _ Ugly brat  _ Levi thought, his thoughts seeping into the glare he sent Eren in return to that ridiculous smile.

“Have a good day, Levi. Help yourself to whatever you want.” Eren said before he walked out, closing and locking the door behind him, leaving Levi in an empty apartment, all alone.


	3. Erwin

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this one dives into Eren's workplace and relationships with Armin and Mikasa. It also reveals an...important detail so look out for that yeah? We also see what Levi does in his free time at Eren's apartment alone.  
> I'm so glad you guys are enjoying this, a little on the personal side but I've been struggling to write for the past couple of years from how intense my English teachers have gotten, I always feel like my writing is complete shit (because of writers block too) so it makes me happy when you guys say such sweet things about new chapters, even Kudos make me ecstatic I'm not going to sit here and beg for comments or kudos I'm just saying thank you, really it boosts my confidence and helps me to keep writing <3 Enjoy~

Eren cradled his wrapped hand throughout the day, earning a few concerned looks from a couple co-workers but never had anyone approach him, at least not until Armin walked over to his cubicle. The short blonde had been Eren’s long-time friend and had helped him earn a spot at his workplace, Armin was a strong intelligent young man and deserved so much more than serving fast food - which was what he had been doing prior.

Eren wordlessly shot Armin a warm smile and it was returned as usual, it was typical for Armin to visit the brunette throughout the day but his first drop in of the day turned out to be pretty late.

“Hey Eren...what happened to your hand? Drop a glass or something?” Armin’s words were playful, he couldn’t have possibly expected Eren to have found Levi the previous day, he couldn’t know that he was cut by that knuckle knife. Eren was clumsy so of course Armin thought it was an accident such as a cup breaking in his hand or something else along those lines, Eren could only laugh and shake his head.

“Ah...no not a cup, I got cut by a knife.” Armin still didn’t seem too phased, probably thought Eren had cut his hand on a knife while washing the dishes - the side of town they lived in was known for it’s low criminal rate as well as close to no homeless people roaming the streets so any worry that could have come up for Armin was already silenced by Eren’s guaranteed safety.

“Gosh, do we need to have Mikasa live with you again? Can’t even take care of yourself...Is it deep? Do you think you need stitches?” Armin was worry free, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t ask simple questions about Eren’s well-being, that last thing the brunette needed was to lose a hand due to an infected wound or something like that, though ever since they were young Eren had always seemed to have some supernatural ability to heal fast and get right back to doing silly things like jumping off of high perches or fighting with the big kids - quite a wild soul.

“No I’m fine, it stopped bleeding one I cleaned it up I’m just keeping this on to stop from any infection since it is a pretty long cut.” Levi had managed to cut from the base of his thumb to just beside his pinky - it made typing with his right hand an irritating action but it wasn’t anything overwhelming and would likely heal within a couple days, he wouldn’t be surprised if a scar would be left behind after his encounter with Levi’s knuckle knife though.

“What was bleeding?” Eren turned at the familiar voice - Mikasa, his adopted sister that had recently taken the job as a secretary for their boss. From what Eren heard, she and Smith hadn’t gotten along like she was hoping but at least they weren’t constantly at each other's throats. Eren smiled, opening his mouth to explain his predicament but Armin happily butt in first.

“Eren cut his hand on a knife, cleaning dishes, right?” That was the first time Armin actually asked, he was still assuming that was the case and yes it was the most reasonable explanation, but Eren found himself unable to lie to his childhood friends, breaking out into a nervous smile as he shook his head with a soft sigh.

“No, _I_ didn’t cut my hand on anything, I was cut by _someone_ ” The glare that Mikasa held on Eren sent shivers down his spine, he wasn’t at fault and he knew she wasn’t angry with him, but that didn’t make her any less fearsome.

“Who? I might have to have a talk with them.” She hissed, her eyes piercing right through Eren's soul - looking like a hungry lioness ready to hunt down her prey, Eren could do nothing but laugh anxiously and stutter as he tried to explain himself.

“No...no I wasn’t...he didn’t mean to...I…” Eren sighed, struggling to find the right words as he slumped back in his chair, groaning before he loosened the tie around his neck - not that it was presentable in any way, Eren had no fucking clue how to tie a tie. “I found a homeless guy last night, he got scared and tried to fight me off...It was my fault, I got too close I should have given him space...he’s at my place now, not in any shape to go back out on the streets and he’s not willing to go to any shelters...I think I’m just going to let him stay until he wants to leave.” Eren explained cautiously, watching as Mikasa simmered down, just a bit, she was still pissed. Armin seemed worried though.

“What’s his name? Is he dangerous? He has to be if he tried attacking you Eren!” The brunette just shook his head again, Levi wasn’t dangerous. He was terrified the previous night, had only lashed out in a desperate attempt to protect himself and Eren got the sour end of that. Sure the ravenette was a sassy, foul-mouthed man child but that wouldn’t change the fact that Eren couldn’t see him as a threat, instead, he saw him as a lost soul, trying to avoid whatever or _whoever_ managed to hurt him.

“Are we having a party here? Last time I checked, lunch is ending in two minutes.” The group all turned at the sound of their boss; Erwin Smith, a well-rounded man that had devoted himself to his company and employees. He would occasionally walk around and check up on everyone which turned out to be annoying after three years of working for him, but right now Eren was thanking Erwin for dropping in to stop any more interrogating by his friends.

“Sorry Mr. Smith, I’m sure these two would be leaving, yes?” Eren asked with a raised brow, Armin nodded quickly and sped off, Mikasa could only sigh and nod once before she looked back over to Erwin.

“Do you need anything? I could grab it for you.” She suggested, Erwin only shot her a timid smile and shook his head.

“No I’ll be fine, thank you.” Mikasa nodded once more before walking back in the direction of the secretary's desk while Erwin smiled at Eren once more.

“Good work today Eren, keep it up.” Eren was left completely dumbfounded at Erwin’s praise and watched as the taller blonde headed back to his office, raising a brow as he shook his head. Erwin wasn’t one for giving away such easy compliments, usually you had to be half dead before the man could even consider muttering a single ‘thank you’ through the phone and yet there he was, praising Eren for work the man hadn’t even seen him doing - strange.

* * *

 

Levi took his time looking around the large apartment, he once had something like it before he moved in with Erwin, he was just as successful as his new caretaker. Levi didn’t leave a single room unexplored, all closets gone through, all items looked over, nothing but a locked closet in Eren’s room was untouched. Sure it was a violation of Eren’s privacy but hey - the brat said he could help himself to whatever he wanted, so this was what he would do!

The ravenette spotted a phone on Eren’s dresser, quickly realising he could call Hanji, let her know that he was alright, he knew her number by heart so it wouldn’t be a difficult task, he could only hope that such a call would go undetected by Eren. He walked over to it and took it off the charger, dialing the number without a second thought before he held the phone to his ear, listening as the phone rang.

“Hello?” Confusion, she had no clue who this was, Levi supposed that was a good thing, but he had also given her Eren’s house phone number in the process, he could only hope that she wouldn’t be an ass and try to call again.

“It’s Levi.” He muttered into the phone, leaning back against the dresser behind him, sighing as he listened to her joyful laugh and string of questions ‘Are you alright?’ ‘Where have you been?’ ‘I haven’t heard from you in ages.’ ‘Erwin said you ran off.’ Levi cut her off at that, not needing to hear anything else on that man.

“I’m fine, alright? I just wanted to let you know that I was fine...Don’t tell Erwin.” His last words came out as a plea, not a command, a plea. There was silence over the line for a moment, Levi could hear his heart beating faster in his chest.

“What did he do to you, Levi?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright so one last note: I do NOT hate Erwin, I pretty much love all the characters in the SNK series but he makes for an easy antagonist in Ereri books as most of you would know. Any comments from this point on accusing me of any sort of hate on Erwin will be ignored and I suggest all other readers ignore those comments as well, using canon characters keeps everyone interested and makes it easy to understand and visualize voices/mannerisms/actions/ect. so if you feel like spurting out all the reasons why I shouldn't use Erwin go right ahead.  
> This is going to be my only time touching on this, I don't want it to be an issue.


	4. Cloth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Levi gets to see Eren in nothing but a towel and has to fight off his gayness.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the late update, we're getting ready to move next week so it's been a little hectic, it's only going to get worse once school starts back up aha.  
> Anywho, after this chapter we should start getting into some more interesting points since the plan is to do a short time skip after this once since extra chapters will be redundant, life for Eren and Levi is pretty boring up until the time skip so I'm sorry if you guys hate time skips, I know I do x'D Don't worry it'll just be a few days, I don't want to give you guys a bunch of stupid filler chapters with no action or fluff at least.  
> Warning: This one is super short, it's a filler chapter but I needed something in order to finish off their day and give something to trigger a time skip

By the time Eren had gotten home, Levi had managed to explore his entire apartment and was seated on the couch channel surfing once Eren noticed him. The brunette smiled at the sight; the smaller males legs tucked up beneath him, eyes focused on the screen as he bit his bottom lip gently, could Eren dare say that he looked cute?

“I’m home.” He finally announced, slipping his shoes off and hung his coat up, watching as Levi rolled his eyes and sunk back further into the couch.

“Thanks for stating the obvious, you sound like an elephant trying to squeeze through a mouse hole.” Eren scoffed, surely he wasn’t that loud or else his neighbours would have called the police or something along those lines. He walked over to the livingroom and sat on the second couch, his eyes drifting between the television and Levi who was still searching for something to watch.

“How was your day? Hopefully not too boring.” Eren chuckled, but Levi didn’t seem to share the same enthusiasm and just shrugged.

“Fine I suppose, watching shows, I took a shower, whatever.” At that, Eren was finally drawn to Levi’s new attire - he had previously provided him with some clothes that Armin had left over considering his clothes would have been too big for the ravenette, he hadn’t given him anything 

else so now this man was sporting one of  _ Erens _ dress shirts that fit Levi as a short nightgown. Eren smiled and leaned back, shaking his head with a soft sigh before he glanced back to the screen, not wanting to make it too awkward for Levi.

“I could get you some new clothes if you want? That way you don’t have to wear what you find?” There wasn’t a reply, Levi just continued clicking through the menu and stopped on a channel he must’ve deemed watchable. It wasn’t like he hadn’t heard Eren, they were less than two feet away from each other and Eren wasn’t quiet when he spoke, that was a trait that had gotten him into trouble as a kid ’ _ always speak in your indoor voice, Eren’  _ his teachers would tell him, trying to coax him down to a whisper but it would never work, not for Eren. He chuckled and just left the statement in the air, Levi knew the offer was there and he would take it when he wanted it. 

“I’m going to take a shower, just call if you need something.” Eren stood as he spoke, shooting a warm smile Levi’s way before he continued to the bathroom, unbuttoning his shirt as he walked.

 

New clothes would be liberating, a breath of fresh air, new skin on an old snake. Levi knew all of these things and yet he couldn’t bring himself to enjoy such a thought - so far he enjoyed being wrapped up in whatever Eren had given him, or whatever he found. Currently that was a oversized dress shirt that smelled of Erens cologne and a hint of whatever detergent he used when he washed it, Levi had occasionally stopped everything just to smell it for a couple of minutes before he continued to do whatever it was he was busy with before. He knew that was dangerous, it was becoming a blanket for his anxiety, he knew he wouldn’t have Erens shirts forever to smell and curl up with, but he still couldn’t break free and accept Erens offer.

At that point Levi wasn’t even watching the show anymore, he was curled up in a tight ball with the collar of Erens shirt pulled up and over his nose to smell his shirt, only being pulled from his strange sniffing when Eren came back. Levi’s eyes widened and sputtered, trying to find words as he looked over Eren - the brunette must have forgotten to grab another outfit because he had nothing on other than a towel loosely wrapped around his waist, beads of water running down his defined chest and abdomen, smirking knowingly down at Levi, that was what tore his eyes away.

“Jesus fucking Christ Eren, get some damn clothes on!” He cried, shooing Eren away and turned away from the half exposed idiot that stood before him.

“Sorry Levi.” Eren said, a soft laugh rolling off of his lips before he continued on to his bedroom, once his back was to Levi the ravenette dared to look back at him as he gnawed on his lip, nails digging into his palms as Eren disappeared behind a closed door. ‘ _ Idiot… _ ’ he thought before he forced his attention to the television yet again, trying to ignore the lingering image that was burned into his mind.

Yes, Levi was gay, he had unfortunately ended up in some attractive mans house and was under his care - he just so happened to  _ look _ like eye candy, almost as good as his ex in fact who Hanji herself had dubbed a ‘chiseled god,’ oh if only she could see Eren. He tore himself away from his thoughts again as soon as Eren came back out, dressed in casual attire - jeans, a green t-shirt.  _ Not _ a towel.

“This better?” Levi rolled his eyes, crossing his arms over his chest with a soft sigh, how was that a question? Then again - was it better? He wouldn’t mind being spoon-fed by a shirtless Eren, just as long as he kept quiet and didn’t say anything stupid of course. Eventually Levi noticed that Eren was staring, waiting for an answer.

“Yes, much better. What’s for dinner?” Eren laughed, moving to sit beside Levi. A first for Eren, usually he kept his distance. Out of reflexes, Levi cowered away, moving to the far end of the couch so there was no chance of Eren touching him, Eren of course didn’t seem to notice, or he didn’t care.

“Dinner? Who says I’m making dinner?” He asked with a raised brow, a smug grin capturing his lips. Levi groaned and rolled his eyes.

“I do, now, tell me what we’re having.” Eren shook his head with another one of his signature toothy grins before he got up and walked off to the kitchen without another word. Levi watched him go, raising a brow curiously but just thought of it as Eren looking for food, nothing more and nothing less. The sounds of cupboards opening and closing confirmed his thoughts.

“How about some hamburgers? I don’t have much more.” Levi could have ate anything, he was starving and wondered why the hell Eren was even asking such a stupid question.

“Hamburgers it is.” Levi called back, raking a hand through his own silky hair as he watched the woman on the television, advertising a hand mixer.


	5. Destruction

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who read the past note I have now deleted, thank you for the continued support it means the world to me. Finally some things will be cleared up in this chapter so for those of you that have been thoroughly confused I hope this will clear some things up. Yes the time skip has happened however we will reflect on Levis thoughts and worries that have been left out and now the book will really pick up from here on out.

Levi stared at the array of clothing placed before him, anxiously gnawing on his bottom lip as he gripped the loose shirt that he wore - another one of Erens shirts that he stole, at that point the brunette had stopped caring and just let Levi do as he pleased, it was obvious he was happier in ill-fitting clothing anyway, for reasons Eren wouldn't dare to question, they were still strangers if anything.

For the past year Levi had been wearing nothing else than Erwin’s shirts, not because he wanted to, it was a demand from his lover - think of it as a collar or a lock ‘ _this is mine, you are mine._ ’ Now, Levi had the choice to wear his own clothing, this stranger had offered him to go shopping two-dozen times now and Levi had either changed the subject or never answered him, a chance of freedom becoming too much for the small raven in that moment, and now he was standing right in front of it.

 

“Levi? I’m heading to work, I made you breakfast I’ll see you later.” Eren called from the other side of the door. Levi lazily stared at it, not bothering to answer Eren and instead he listened as silence was cast over the apartment for a few short moments, awaiting the ravenettes reply but none came, and Eren left, his footsteps echoing through the hallway.

Levi was used to making his own food, perhaps starving through the day until Erwin came home from work. Levi was used to cowering in fear, used to submitting. This? What was _this_? Who was this man? Why wasn’t he screaming at Levi? Telling him to speak up or drop the attitude? Why wasn’t he wielding a forceful hand? So many questions had filtered through Levi’s head over the past week leaving him no time to think about settling in or getting to know who his caretaker was - he just sort of...did.

No questions were asked, _who are you, what happened to you, when are you going to leave_. None of that ever came from Eren, he just stayed quiet and did his best to please Levi when usually it was the other way around for the ravenette, only now was he beginning to wonder why this man was acting as he had been. Most people would have succumbed to their own questions at least once at that point but there was a certain inhuman resistance to Eren that Levi had never come across before.

 

Levi walked out of the bedroom, leaving the clothes Eren had bought him behind. His freedom could wait, he wasn’t ready to just go back to normal yet, if that was even possible anymore. He walked to the kitchen to be met by the luxurious scent of pancakes and bacon, his stomach rumbling with a hunger that Levi didn’t know he was sporting and walked over to his plate of food at the table without a second thought. Eren had been so kind, so sweet and nurturing, putting Levi before his own needs. “ _Idiot.._ ” Levi muttered with a mouthful of fluffy pancakes, scowling at the wooden table.

Eren had given up his bedroom and decided to sleep on the couch, he had respected _all_ of Levis requests and had gone above and beyond with daily breakfasts and dinners - lunch was left to Levi when Eren worked of course, but on weekends it was three course meals and constant pampering, Levi felt like a king in that small apartment. Eren’s abandonment of self was inexplainable to Levi, but then again he didn’t know who Eren was, nor did he know Eren’s thoughts behind his actions either. The only time Eren had offered any outside help was their first meeting, offering Levi the chance to go to a shelter - that would be the first place Erwin would look and without a proper anchor Levi would have happily gone back to Erwin, it would have just taken a few sweet promised whispers and gentle kisses and Levi would have been hooked, but now he had Eren.

A kind stranger, he worked hard and even harder for Levi when he was home. He always seemed to sport a bright smile and messy hair, accompanied by brilliant green eyes and a warm heart, a perfect man that Levi didn’t deserve in the slightest.

But he couldn’t seem to break away.

 

Levi had spoken to Hanji many times, told her about Eren and listened to her as she updated him on the “worried” calls she would receive from Erwin asking if she had heard from Levi - he guessed she hadn’t told him about Eren finding him. Hanji was his golden ticket and yet he couldn’t accept it, it would lead to therapists and doctors all trying to ease the trauma that Levi had suffered through, they wouldn’t understand as he told them that he was never good enough, he was never enough for Erwin. _Never_.

They would shake their heads and scribble down notes and continue to ask meaningless questions and forget that Levi had told them the centre of all his problems; he wasn’t good enough for the man he loved, and he couldn’t understand why that wasn’t enough.

 

* * *

 

“Erwin? What are you doing up? It’s late?” Levi’s words came out soft and quiet as he took in Erwins surroundings; empty beer bottles, the only light in the room coming from the door he had just opened, the blondes hair messy and dark bags under his blood-shot eyes that stared up at Levi blankly.

“Why can’t you be mine, Levi?” His words sent chills through the smaller ravenette, gripping the door tighter as he furrowed his brows, he didn’t understand.

“I...what do you mean? I _am_ yours, Erwin.” He started, a nervous smile capturing his lips as he walked over to the blonde and gently took the half-empty bottle of beer from his hand and set it on the desk behind them before he moved to sit on his lap, gently brushing his thumb against Erwin’s lips - he winced. He shoved Levi off of him and back against the desk before he stood.

“No, that’s why you’re not mine.” Levi’s eyes went wide with fear as Erwin grabbed his wrist in a deathly-tight grip, using his free hand to grip the wooden desk behind him as if it would save him from whatever terrors Erwin would do next. “When you touch me, nothing happens, there’s no change in the atmosphere, no gasps for air, no new colours or scents. Levi. You are not mine, you belong to someone _else._ ” Erwin was growling now, and Levi was desperately trying to tear his arm away from his ever-increasing grip, terrified of his wrist breaking from the stress.

“Is that why you’re getting upset? For fuck sakes Erwin, I don’t belong to anyone else I’m yours, even if I just so happened to meet my soulmate tomorrow it doesn’t mean I would drop you. I love you, don’t be stupid.” Levi couldn’t find himself able to promise Erwin that his words were the truth, because for all he knew he was wrong. There were so many stories out there of happy couples being torn apart by one of the two finding their soulmate and something just _changes_ , and they can’t stay together anymore. For some finding their soulmate is a blessing but for most it’s a curse, causing many to be abused or even killed over, in this case, that was exactly what happened to Levi.

* * *

  
Levi finished his breakfast and stared at his plate with furrowed brows, trying to figure out how the hell he had managed to get caught up in that mess. Before he had moved in with Erwin he was living a relatively normal life; working with Erwin, living with Hanji, normal things for Levi but after he moved in with Erwin things just spiraled downwards in his own destruction and eventually lead to where he was with Eren. But he was safe there, he was safe behind Eren’s closed doors, safe in his clothes at his table where he ate his food. _Safe_.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright so if some of you are still confused I'll use this note as an "Author explaining some shit" note:  
> Eren is Levi's anxiety blanket. He's gone through an abusive relationship and still has feelings for Erwin anyway, imagine yourself in a similar situation, you wouldn't be able to just go back to normal, some sort of therapy would be needed and obviously Levi is reluctant to go to a hospital or any outside care for that matter out of fear, he might still love Erwin but that doesn't change the fact that he's afraid of him.  
> The reason Levi has just suddenly gotten used to Eren is because he is the only thing he can use as a pacifier to soothe him, if he fights Eren he'll just hurt himself and in doing this he has chosen to abandon his potential freedom of a normal life. Of course Eren doesn't understand this but he doesn't question Levi, not wanting to upset him in the process.


	6. Quiet

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> We hit 1000 views yay! As a celebration I will gift you with another chapter xD This one will be a little more lighthearted compared to the last chapter, I will also be updating the tags again to mention Levi's past relationship with Erwin because honestly I'm way too anxious about more fuming readers, I shouldn't have to do that but you know I don't want people using missing tags against me so meh.

Every day now Eren had been bombarded with questions from Armin and Mikasa about Levi, he couldn’t blame them for being curious about the strange man Eren had taken in and didn’t seem to be going anywhere any time soon, but he refused to give them any information.

“Come on Eren, the least you could do is tell us where he came from, or how you’re dealing with all of this!” Armin begged, blue eyes digging into Eren like daggers. It was unusual for Armin to be so persistent, it was obvious that they were worried about him and just wanted to make sure he was safe with Levi under his roof, but he couldn’t have been happier.

“I can’t tell you things I don’t know, I’ve been telling the both of you that for days now, eventually you’ll have to give it up.” His voice was irritated, then again he had been dealing with this same conversation ever since he told Armin and Mikasa about Levi. He picked at the gauze around his hand in order to avoid Armins pleading expression and Mikasa’s worried tone.

“Eren…” She didn’t continue. It was a tone Eren had heard from her plenty of times, usually when he lied about bruises he would come home with or if he had told Mikasa a secret he wanted kept away from their parents. Every time she used it, it stung.

“I’m fine. He’s fine. Everything is  _ fine _ .” Eren promised as he glanced between his two best friends who shared their own glances between each other before turning back to Eren.

“Why don’t we come over tonight? That way we can meet this man...maybe even help him out?” Eren knew Armins intentions were pure - he wanted to make sure Levi was in good health and had a stable mind, but it wouldn’t be what Levi wanted. He wanted to be left alone.

“I don’t think that's a good idea...he isn’t the social type, would try to bite your heads off when you go in to see him or hide in my room.” Eren said with an anxious laugh, running his long fingers through his messy hair. He hated how weak he made Levi seem, that wasn’t the case at all. Levi was a strong man, he had come from some kind of evil and was still breathing today to tell the story, he had the will to accept Eren’s help and would eventually get back on his feet and go back to being Levi - whoever that man was.

Eren realised that he didn’t know the real Levi, he just knew the fragile doll he had managed to find one fateful night and nursed him back into reality. This man he was taking care of was a complete stranger and had gone as far as slicing Erens hand with a weapon that as far as Eren knew he still kept on him or within reach but out of sight, Levi could still think of Eren as a threat and not a friend because really - Eren should still see him as a threat as well, an armed man living under his roof.

“Alright...Eren.” Eren’s eyes widened at the agreement, not expecting it to come that easy from Armin.

“Alright?” He repeated, glancing between the blonde and ravenette suspiciously before they both nodded, causing a wave of pure relief to wash over him.

“Yeah, obviously you’re keeping us away for a reason...but if you need us don’t be afraid to call.” Eren listened with a bright smile, more than confused by Mikasas lack of interaction in a conversation that screamed her name, instead she kept a worried stare on Eren the entire way through.

“Thank you guys I-” Eren was cut off by a door slamming, all three of them turned to find the source and found Erwin storming out of his office, a brunette following behind him with a worried expression.

“He doesn’t want to talk to you Erwin! He made that clear, I don’t understand why you have to make such a big fuss over it just let him do what he wants!” The woman was unfamiliar to Eren, she wore glasses, a light yellow shirt and blue jeans - not typical office wear so there was a good chance she either dropped in to visit Erwin or he made her come to him. Eren didn’t spend too much time taking in the brunettes appearance and instead focused on the argument that continued as Erwin turned sharply at her words, the glare he sent physically shaking the poor woman.

“I thought he  _ died _ , Hanji. The least you could have done was tell me that he wasn’t curled up on some street dead!” The blonde rumbled before he continued down the hallway, Hanji pausing for a moment before she chased after him to continue their conversation...or argument....whatever it was.

“What was that?” Armin asked, turning to Mikasa with a raised brow, she just shrugged.

“I might be his secretary but I’m not his friend, he doesn’t share personal stuff with me but it has been pretty obvious that he’s stressing out...he’s been firing people out of the blue and giving random promotions where they aren’t needed...Smith is out of it.” Mikasa said as she crossed her arms and glanced over to Erwins office door, Eren furrowed his brows as he tried to take in the situation before he shrugged.

“Well, hopefully this gets sorted soon, I don’t want any of us to be fired next!” Anxious laughter coursed through the three of them, followed by some mild conversation before they all got back to work, the encounter with Hanji and Erwin long forgotten.

 

Eren walked down the street, his hands stuffed into his pockets as he took in his surroundings. It was never anything new, the buildings the same, the birds, the trees, even the people all seemed the same every single day. The only thing different in his life was Levi; his mood changed every day, every hour, sometimes every minute. He would be quite tame one day and a foul-mouthed man child the next. He could frustrate Eren, make him laugh and so much more, compared to the rest of his repetitive life Levi was that one  _ different _ person that he never realised that he needed.

He walked up to his building and over to the elevator, calling it down and waited. He stretched out with a low groan as the doors opened and moved to board it, only to be stopped by...Hanji? The same woman he had seen with Erwin. She smiled and apologised before brushing past Eren and continuing to the front doors, Eren’s gaze following her the entire way before he stepped on the elevator.

He shouldn’t have been that confused - his apartment was near work, there was a chance that she lived here or knew someone else that lived on another floor, people were allowed to come and go freely so his confusion could easily be explained and silenced, but that didn’t change the fact that he had an itching feeling that Erwin and Hanji may have been wrapped up in his situation with Levi somehow.

 

Eren walked through the front door, announcing his arrival like usual as he shrugged his coat and shoes off, leaving him in his white dress shirt, black dress pants, and suspenders that held his pants up - usual work attire. 

“Welcome back.” Levi muttered bitterly from the island bar, sitting on a bar stool with his back to him. Eren couldn’t help but to smile at the greeting and lack of curses, but he didn’t fail to notice the ravenettes tone.

“How was your day?” Eren asked, walking into the kitchen to get himself a glass of water before he turned back to a silent Levi and frowned. The poor man looked like he had seen a ghost; eyes wide, anxiously picking at his nails, skin impossibly white. “Hey...what happened are you alright?” Eren asked softly as he walked out, instinctively going to touch Levis shoulder for some kind of support but quickly moved his hand to grab the counter instead. Levi sighed and leaned back into the chair before he nodded.

“I’m fine, I just need to shower…” He muttered bitterly and hopped off of the bar stool before he rushed over to the bathroom, leaving Eren in a haze.


	7. Euphoria

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dear larreeh:  
> I changed your prompt a little bit, the thing still happens but Levi isn't aware, he's just like: Oh hey, yeah life is suddenly great!  
> And Eren is like: hOLY SHIT WHAT?!  
> So yeah.

Their evening played out as followes: Eren took a shower after Levi. Levi stayed mute for the night watching “Say Yes To The Dress.” Eren made dinner. Levi went to bed.

No one could blame Eren for being a _little_ confused.

So now he sat on the couch he had been calling his bed for almost a week and a half, staring out at the black abyss of a living room, the only light coming from the DVD player about six feet across from Eren. The only noises coming from the ticking clock above him and the cars occasionally whizzing by a few stories below. Even with the peaceful night, Eren couldn’t find sleep even as he desperately searched, tossing and turning around on the couch. Tugging his blanket over his head, just laying there for what seemed like _hours_. Nothing.

“Fuck it..” Eren stood, marching over to the kitchen to grab a glass of water like he had only an hour ago. He glanced over to the clock - three in the morning. Three in the _fucking_ morning. Eren hadn’t stayed up this late in months, perhaps years maybe. Even if he partied on his days off he would be back home and in bed at one, perhaps two if he was getting risky.

He hated to admit it, but the ravenette that he had taken in was affecting him more than he would have liked. He barely knew him. He never asked any questions or acted unnecessarily around the man, there was no reason for Eren to worry - he was Levi’s carer. It was a contract.

One day Eren would come home to an empty apartment and _never_ see that moody, short man again.

 

Eren drank the room temperature water from his tap, wincing at the taste. After a few deep gulps of the liquid he poured the rest down the drain - he wasn’t even thirsty, it was supposed to act as some sort of sleep inducing remedy, not that it worked at all.

He cleaned the glass and set it back in the counter before he headed back to the couch, or at least he was going to.

He stopped and furrowed his brows, glancing down the hallway to his bedroom. The door slightly ajar from his earlier check up on the sleeping ravenette. He could have sworn he heard a noise.

After a few silent moments Eren shrugged and took another step, the hardwood creaking at his weight. Another noise. Eren stopped. He didn’t bother waiting for the noise again, he just walked straight to his bedroom and quietly peaked his head inside the room to look over Levi.

His head was covered by the blankets but that didn’t mean Eren couldn’t see his small body shaking as he took heavy breaths, broken sobs and incoherent pleas erupting from his sleeping body. A nightmare.

Eren wasn’t sure if he was in the right place to go over and calm Levi down, he wanted to _god_ he wanted to, he couldn’t stand those pitiful noises coming from those lips. As much as he told himself _no_ , his body said _yes_ and he had stumbled over to the bed, his figure looming over Levi as his hand reached over to gently tug the blanket from his face. If Eren thought he hated those noises, he despised those tears.

Erens brows furrowed, the desire to wipe those tears away and pull Levi into his arms to calm him down was strong and he caught himself subconsciously reaching out to Erens face before an image presented itself to him _“Hell no, I would rather die. Don’t touch me, at all.”_ That’s right. Eren had been told not to touch Levi, but perhaps this was an exception? But if Levi woke… Eren glanced over to the knuckle knife still placed on the nightstand, ready for Levi to take it and strike. The ravenette was more than capable of doing it, but it would be worth it just to stop those sobs and dry up those tears.

 

“ _S..Stop._.” Levi cried, the only coherent words Eren had heard from the blubbering man before him. He shook his head with a soft sigh, fighting back his fears. Whatever had happened to Levi was a plague and now the sickness was in play, making the strong man seem like nothing more than a weak bag of flesh and bones that anyone could break. He had to help.

 

Eren extended his hand carefully. _What do I do?_ He asked himself. He had never dealt with Mikasa having nightmares and Armin? Well, he would scare himself so bad that it would wake him up before Eren could figure out something, but it looked like Levi wasn’t going to be that easy.

His first thought was to shake him, but waking him with a start would only panic him, perhaps reach for the knife to attack. His next thought was to wipe those salty tears away, but why? They would only be replaced with more until Eren could wake him and calm him down.

Before Eren could think of another approach, Levi had turned his head to dodge something invisible to Eren in his sleep. A frown was cast over the brunette as he looked over Levi again - his hair messy, stolen shirt sticking to his sweaty skin, his hands gripping sheets and body pressed against the mattress as some kind of anchor, too afraid to let go.

Eren sighed, reaching forward to brush Levis bangs away from his face.

  
  


They gasped.

  
  
  
  


Levi calmed.

  
  
  
  


Eren stared.

  
  
  
  


Eren stared down with wide eyes, his hand felt like fire, it burned but it felt good. The warmth spread throughout his body and Eren felt...whole. He never realised he had been missing anything.

He glanced back to Levi with furrowed brows, the man looked euphoric, his nightmare had disappeared and he curled into the mattress like a satisfied kitten.

“What the hell?” Eren muttered, blinking a few times, just staring at the soul before him.

In school, Eren had been told that _someone_ out there was designed for him and that he would feel something he had never felt before or see something he had never seen before. Some people had been rendered mentally ill or physically handicapped because of this “soulmate” ordeal. Eren had to call bullshit, even when he was in grade school because honestly - out of seven billion people how the hell would anyone find their soulmate? People would suffer; unable to walk, unable to see, unable to feel love or joy or _some_ emotion until they found that one person.

Eren had to call bullshit.

Until he felt it…

Joy.

Love.

Warmth.

Home.

Levi was his soulmate, and Eren learned that his happiness had been fake his entire life.

* * *

 

Morning was...Strange.

Eren woke up late, perhaps it was because of the discovery, it was mentally draining. He rolled over on the couch, wincing as bright lights burned his eyes and tugged the blanket back over his face, grumbling in protest.

“Eren?” He rose at his name, last nights events rushing over him like an ocean; powerful and deadly. He staggered to his feet and walked over to the kitchen, the smell of eggs and bacon potent, but the look on Levi’s face was breathtaking.

There was no smile, Eren would probably die if Levi were to smile, the heavens signaling that his time was near but he looked...content. Satisfied. At ease. Levi was blissfully unaware of the truth but he was still affected just as Eren was, ecstasy ran through Levis veins and whatever had scared him yesterday was a thought of the past. Eren was jealous. Because the truth was scaring him more than bringing any sort of joy.

One day Eren would come home to an empty apartment and _never_ see that moody, short man again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Regarding Levi's touching issue/Book spoilers idk:
> 
> Alright so I'm going to ask you to remember the first chapter. I referenced it in the text so you don't have to reread it but Levi had requested Eren /not/ to touch him.  
> Remember that /nothing/ happened when Levi touched Erwin and Erwin was upset over that, so yeah there are two reasons why Levi might not want to be touched.  
> He doesn't want to find his soulmate.  
> or  
> He is reminded that he /wasn't/ enough for Erwin.  
> I leave your minds to piece everything together~


	8. Fear

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So I'm going to try and cut back on the author notes but this one is needed:  
> I removed anonymous commenting and now I have to review whatever you guys comment to filter out the good and constructive to the bad and annoying, heres why:  
> Most of the time I get awesome comments and it makes me happy to see you guys interested in the fic! Honestly one that I got the other day made me so happy, and then I got a sour one.  
> Which leads us to now.  
> I can't win, either I didn't tag this story right warning people about the Erwin and Levi abuse thing or I tagged it and people are getting upset. I don't get it honestly, I'm doing the /same/ thing that some of my favourite authors have done and the only reason people are lashing out is because I'll see it, it won't be drowned out by dozens of other comments, or maybe its that my writing style isn't as good or something is missing.  
> Alright fine, tell me what I need to improve and I'll do that, it's called constructive criticism but lashing out and telling me that I "hate my readers" or "this fic is worthless" is unneeded, if you don't like it, take your ass somewhere else.  
> I'm 99.9% sure I've had people come in and not read my book and just comment so they don't understand. Or they don't read the tags and say "You put no warnings! I'm so triggered!" Listen, there have been rape and abuse warnings on the book since day one. I will NOT write any rape scenes, everything is implied so really I put those warnings there to calm anyone that is super sensitive to those topics, I know I can get that way sometimes too.  
> So yeah. Comments will be reviewed now, but I will still appreciate seeing them, if things go well i'll remove the reviews and just keep the anonymous comments disabled because most of the time if people don't have a curtain to hide behind they won't comment anything.  
> To the rest of you who have been so kind to me, thank you, I think from this point on I'll try to reply to all your comments so you know that i really do appreciate you <3 Heres some cute and angry Levi and whatnot (Still not touching on what happened with Levi and Hanji ahahhaha evil)

Levi woke in the morning to what he first thought was his stomach threatening to regurgitate his dinner, he tugged the blankets off of his body and bolted to the washroom and over the toilet only to find that nothing came. The sensations that flowed through his body were not the painful aches that came with sickness - no, this was something he had felt when he first met Erwin.

The blonde was a tall, dashing businessman and Levi - a short boiling secretary, unpleased with his position beneath the taller man. That was a lie, he loved it, he loved it when Erwin asked him for coffee or the papers he had printed off in the other room. He would do anything, even happily sit at his feet, purring like a kitten if the man asked, for a while he was sure he had found his soulmate only to be proven wrong every time that man looked at him. He did not feel the same way.

Eventually though, they grew close, developed a strong relationship and moved in together. Levi kept up with being Erwins at-home secretary instead. Perhaps that wasn’t the best choice, that was the beginning to their downfall.

Levi had always been a quiet person, wanting to avoid social situations at all costs and touching was out of the question. He was never interested in finding his soulmate - or falling ill from someones nasty hand, but Erwin - he always wanted to touch him, even now he did. _Maybe I’ll be your soulmate now_ he would say to himself as his hands roamed over firm muscles, those blue eyes piercing him like a knife.

Those feelings of love and anxiety disappeared once Erwin returned his feelings and he never felt the same way again, until now. Was he feeling the same way for Eren? Surely not.

Levi barely knew the man, and yet...he barely knew Erwin when he fell for him, only one thing would be able to confirm his suspicions.

Breakfast.

 

Levi was busy slaving over the stove when Eren came, Levi didn’t have to look over to know that Eren was there, it was like his body could sense the mans breathing just a few feet away.

“Eren?” Levi was surprised with his own voice, it was weak, vulnerable. Eren walked over to the kitchen and looked between the stove and Levi. His own eyes wide with some unforeseen terror in them, Levi wanted to frown and walk over to the brunette, cup his face and play with his messy locks asking _what’s wrong?_ Until the man snapped and answered him but he did no such thing.

“You didn’t have to cook.” Eren finally blurted out, moving to sit at the island counter, his eyes never leaving Levi’s. Levi rolled his eyes, being the first to break the strangely content eye contact so he could flip the eggs over, finally noticing how weak his legs felt. They were like jelly, ready to give out any second if he shifted his weight the wrong way.

“I did. You were sleeping and I was hungry. You always cook for me anyway, I’m not some incapable child, Eren.” Levi subconsciously pouted at the chuckle that rumbled from Eren, quickly wiping it away to glare at the brunette. Those eyes fierce, playful, loving.

“I think you are though, you throw temper tantrums, make ridiculous jokes, you’re like - three foot two and you _love_ chocolate, sounds like a kid to me.” Eren said with a short shrug before he pushed off of his chair. Levi groaned, turning back to the stove to put the eggs on two separate plates.

“Listen you piece of shit, if anyone’s the kid here it’s you. Don’t test me brat because I _will_ use that knife on you.” Levi hissed before he turned around, his eyes going wide as soon as he saw Eren, wide smirk plastered over his lips.

“Promise to be gentle with me?” He cooed, his eyes lingering on Levi for a few short moments before his eyes went wide with horror, shaking his head quickly. “Sorry! Sorry, I shouldn’t get that close.” Levi hadn’t even noticed how close Eren had got, he was too distracted by those ridiculous eyes that rested on him. But now that Eren was apologising profusely of course Levi would say something.  
“Maybe I should send you to work on Monday with no hands, see what goes around. Perhaps your boss will give you a day off to go to the hospital and get them reattached.” Levi hissed, Eren dropped his act again and laughed, using the counter behind him to steady himself, wiping away invisible tears. Jesus...Levi didn’t think he was _that_ funny.

“I doubt Erwin would do such a thing, probably tell me to work harder or something as I bleed all over my keyboard.” Eren kept laughing. But Levi wasn’t enjoying himself anymore. Even with the happy butterflies in his stomach.

Because those butterflies were being killed with panic and fear.

Erwin.

 

“Levi? Hey..are you alright?” Levi snapped back into reality, Eren staring at his cautiously, his arm extended to grap Levi’s shoulder, his hand just hovering above. Even without touching Levi seemed to calm at Erens hand just being so close but refused to fall back on that and let Eren calm him down.

“Fuck off.” Levi hissed, moving away before Eren could say anything else, or at least he hoped he wouldn’t. Of course the brat was following him down the hallway, thick brows knitted together. His words drowned out in the flurry of Levi’s mind. Anger, confusion, fear, and anxiety all clumped together in a nasty, oozing mess, each emotion fiercely fighting for attention.

_Why are you following me?_

_Why is this happening to me?_

_Is Erwin using Eren to find me?_

_I should run away._

Eventually Levi snapped, his eyes staring back at Eren. He must have looked intimidating in some way because the brunette was backing up to the doorway like a kicked puppy.

“Get out.” He hissed, seeming to keep his seething anger at bay. Eren hadn’t done anything wrong, and yet anger seemed to rise above all and victimise the poor brunette.

“But Levi I-”

“Get _out!_ ” Levi cried, taking a few steps forward to look up at Eren properly. In that moment he didn’t worry about his anger being softened by his stature, because Eren seemed to get the picture. His lips were pressed into a thin line, brows still tightly furrowed as he turned and left the room, the door slamming, shaking Levi to the core from the sheer force. It hurt more than anything. It felt like his heart had been ripped out, stepped on, and pushed back in.

Levi collapsed to the floor. Why was he upset again? He couldn’t remember. He was focused on the fact that Eren was upset with _him_ . He could take Erwins bitter words and flying fists, but Erens silent anger was deadly, it killed Levi and yet he kept repeating in his head _we’re strangers, I can’t get this upset, I don’t know him._ And yet, he was.

_Why am I upset again? Oh right...he works for Erwin, and Erwin will find me. Soon._

* * *

Erens blood was boiling, anger coiling and uncoiling in his stomach, the heat raging through him grew more intense as time went on. Eren was an angry teenager, often taking it out on innocent souls and even his best friends at times. He had made Armin cry and taken it as far as reducing Mikasa to a quivering post, her emotions still somehow locked away but her body telling the truth. As Eren grew older he calmed, using wits as a defense instead of violence and bitter words but right now - he was livid. _It’s because he’s your soulmate_ a voice told him, Eren shook his head furiously. That wasn’t true. Soulmates did not affect each other in such a way, they could fight and bicker just like anyone else without any repercussions and then hold each other at the end of the day to enjoy their newly found abilities and yet Eren had an uncontrollable anger inside of him.

He and Levi were having a nice morning, and then Levi just...went off. Did Eren say something? No. He didn’t, he just talked about work, surely he couldn’t be upset over that? Perhaps it was the bloody keyboard, Levi was a clean freak - had cleaned Erens entire apartment three times over in a week so maybe he was turned off by that? But..he wouldn’t react in such a way to filth, it would be the crinkle of the nose, a snotty tone telling him “ _Don’t talk about such disgusting things, it makes me shiver just hearing it.”_ Before continuing on with his day. Not that bitter anger Eren had experienced.

So. What _did_ he say wrong?


End file.
